Today's increasing dependence on electronic and/or computer code based systems, such as computers, wireless devices, and internet appliances, requires that these systems operate continuously and reliably. Today's systems demand a greater level of “fault tolerance” so that these systems may continue to operate optimally even under adverse or “fault” conditions, such as when experiencing one or more errors, failures, or faults in a system's constituent components. Therefore, a system operating with fault tolerant characteristics refers to a system capable of continuous and optimal operation despite experiencing one or more errors, failures, or faults in a system's constituent components.
Redundancy is a concept commonly applied by the electronics and/or computer code-based systems industry for improving the fault tolerance of systems. Typically, in a redundant system, some or all of the components are duplicated, thereby providing at least one backup component in the event of a failure occurring in a primary component. The “failure” of a component refers to the component no longer providing at least one of its functions at an expected level of operation.
One example of a redundant system is a RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) system, where multiple disks are used to store the same information, in whole or in part. Thus, during operation of a host system requiring information storage, if one of the disks of a RAID system fails, another disk can replace it.
Another example of a redundant system is a transmitter component system, especially for use with a transceiver. For a transceiver, multiple transmitters are used to send information from the transceiver to a desired location and/or component. Thus, during operation of a transceiver, which often sends large volumes of information, if one of the transmitters of a transmitter component system fails another transmitter can replace it.
One problem frequently encountered in redundant systems is determining the optimum number of components for ensuring the continuous, fault tolerant operation of an endsystem. As a matter of saving cost, labor, and time associated with manufacturing redundant component systems, there is a need in the art for a redundant component system and method for determining a threshold value that reflects the minimum number of components required for forming that redundant component system.